The two Bishop 'advantage'

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
What is this 'advantage' anyway? How do you use it? I hear about it a lot but don't really understand it.

I think it might be an endgame thing. Am I right? Can anyone clearly tell me how to use this advantage if I get it? Can anyone show me a game where it is clearly a factor in the win or loss of the game?

From Fine's Basic Chess Endings, pp. 262-62:

"We saw how a Bishop can limit the mobility of a Knight, and it is this constriction idea that is the key to endings with two bishops against BN or NN. The bishops must be made to work together and cramp the enemy position; wherever possible, they then facilitate the entry of the king; otherwise they create weaknesses and hammer away at them until some more tangible advantage (king entry, material gain) turns up.

"The strength of an outside passed pawn with one bishop is clear enough; [it can aid the advance of the pawn at a distance and still attack or defend in another sector] with two bishops it is almost a winning advantage. The bishops in unison can control every square on the queening file."

This is for the endgame, obviously. A bishop pair in the middle game is also an advantage IF the pawn structure is such that the bishops can be deployed on long diagonals; this way they can influence play at long-range on both sides of the board while a knight is a much shorter range piece.

Hope that helps.

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
What is this 'advantage' anyway? How do you use it? I hear about it a lot but don't really understand it.

I think it might be an endgame thing. Am I right? Can anyone clearly tell me how to use this advantage if I get it? Can anyone show me a game where it is clearly a factor in the win or loss of the game?

A 2 bishop advantage is because as a pair they cover both the color squares.
Best seen in open positions, where the long range of the bishops prove desicive. In the endgame, the advantage for the bishop or pair is when there are pawns on both the sides of the board. Also as a pair they can stop pawn advance move easily than a single bishop.